Hospitality

Find your future and master an international trade that could take you anywhere around the world. 

Get one step ahead and follow your dreams towards an exciting career in a vibrant and varied industry with our hospitality courses. We cover a variety of specialisms including professional cookery, baking, catering and food and beverage service supervision, or our hospitality apprenticeships. Start your journey today. 


What is hospitality?

The Hospitality industry offers an exciting profession that could take you anywhere in the world. It holds the key to a broad range of careers which involves and provides food, drink, entertainment and accommodation to customers.  

Working in Hospitality, you’re able to create lasting memories and moments of magic for guests dining in a restaurant or staying at a hotel or enjoying a drink at a café. 

Whether you’re an aspiring restaurant or hotel manager, have dreams of becoming a chef, or want to become a professional baker or barista, a career in hospitality could be for you. 

Andrew Ritchie – Professional Cookery Student

I enjoy cooking and wanted to further my skills to work in the industry and eventually own and run my own artisan bakery. I gained confidence, knowledge and life skills.”

Andrew Ritchie

Why study hospitality?

Hospitality studies will give you the skills you need to be in demand all over the world. Whether you’re working for one of the big travel companies, or you’d like to join a restaurant chain or a hotel group, the skills acquired during your degree will make you an attractive candidate across the board. 

Study Hospitality with us to enjoy: 

  • Access to world class learning facilities – our professional Zest kitchen and restaurant in Dumfries and Stranraer will give you the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge you need to thrive. 
  • Real experiences of work – our courses are designed to provide you with the skills and real work experiences you need by giving you the chance to put your skills into practice. 
  • Support from highly-trained staff – our lecturing and professional cookery staff will help you learn the academic theory and pick up the practical skills you need to get ahead and succeed. 
  • A route to a viable career – with a qualification in hospitality, you could cook in a kitchen, serve customers in a restaurant, manage a hotel and beyond. 
  • An opportunity to become your own boss – many hospitality graduates will eventually go on to become owner-managers of their own bars, cafes, restaurants or hotels. 

Where Hospitality could take you

Take a look where a qualification in Hospitality could take you. 

Career Options 

As more than 1 in 3 college leavers go on to find employment*, a qualification in Hospitality could lead to the following careers: 

  • Chef – are responsible for preparing, cooking, and presenting food in a range of different settings. Chefs use their flair to create different cuisine’s depending on the type of establishments such as a local pub or high-end restaurant. They must be confident to have the responsibility for a whole kitchen or a specific section. Average starting salary between £13,000 – £ 16,000 
  • Hotel Manager – have the responsibility of running hotel day-to-day. They oversee organising and planning all of a hotel’s finance and budgeting. Hotel Managers are professionals who have excellent people management skills to manage events and bookings with customers. In bigger hotels, they can focus on one section such as guest relations while smaller hotels they will have more roles. Average starting salary between £19,000 – £20,000 
  • Waiter – serve customers food and beverages in different type of establishments. Waiters can positively handle orders and payments while being welcoming and friendly towards customers. They can work in many different environments including local bars or in fine dining restaurants. Average working salary £12,000 – £16,000 
  • Publican – or known as a pub landlord are individuals who manage and are responsible for licensed premises such as pubs or bars. They have responsibility for the overall running of the pub regarding safety regulations and their staff. Publicans are confident people who build good relationships with customers, breweries, and suppliers. Average starting salary between £16,000 – £20,000 

Onward Study 

As more than 1 in 3 college students who graduate with an HNC or above go on to university study*, a qualification in Hospitality could lead you to the following degree options: 

  • Degree in Hospitality Management 
  • Degree in International Hospitality Management 
  • Degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management 

*based on SFC College Leaver Destinations report 19-20 

Professional Membership 

Students studying and graduates with a qualification in hospitality can become a member of the Institute of Hospitality – the professional body for managers working and studying in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry. 

Membership offers you: 

  • Access to a well-respected network 
  • Ability to develop through ongoing learning 
  • Opportunities to gain recognition for efforts well done 
  • Inspiration to be your best 

Course Entry Requirements

Despite being a very popular subject, the entry requirements to study hospitality are relatively low. Specific requirements will vary by course, but we offer courses where no formal academic qualifications are required. For them, all we ask for is: 

  • You demonstrate a keen interest in studying hospitality with us 
  • You attend an entry interview and present yourself well 
  • You have a positive learner reference – if you’ve studied with us before. 

For courses with formal academic entry requirements, we offer a number of routes in – from studying the qualifications that allow you to progress to offering alternative options.  


Emily Wellburn – Craft Baking Student

The Craft Bakery Course has been fantastic, the lecturer Tony has a great breadth of knowledge and experience and he shares all the tricks of the trade with his students!

I was shocked by the amount of content that was covered in the course, you can be a complete beginner or a well rounded baker and still learn something new every week.

Emily Wellburn's craft baking

All Courses

Choose the course for you and click through to find out more and apply: 

*Courses listed above are available as at time of publishing. Availability is subject to demand and some courses may stop accepting applications or be withdrawn at any time.

Learning Environment

Our professional Zest kitchen and restaurant gives you the opportunity to thrive in a restaurant environment developing the skills and knowledge for your future career or further education. 

Zest Restaurant in Stranraer

With support from our qualified staff, they will help you learn about the different roles and the academic theory behind the training giving you the opportunity to succeed in your studies.